St. Paddy's Day Weekend Recap

Corned Beef Hash with Root Vegetables
{recipe inspired by Martha Stewart}

Wow, what a weekend! We celebrated my mom's 60th birthday in true Irish fashion. Irish coffees -- spiked with Kahlua, Jameson & Baileys and topped with whipped cream. The Pogues playing in the background throughout the day, followed by traditional Irish jig music to cap off the evening. A house full of people & a gorgeous spread of food -- it was a celebratory occasion indeed. 

One of our contributions to the party was a corned beef hash we made with corned beef that we prepared late last week, as has become an annual tradition around this time of year. This corned beef has was a real crowd pleaser & was a great way to reinvent leftovers.

Last week, we followed Elise's baked corned beef recipe over at Simply Recipes. Honestly, we were a bit disappointed with the results - not sure what went wrong, but it was overly salty (even though we followed her boiling instructions) and it was a bit tough (perhaps this method lends itself to boiling out all of the fats that keep the meat moist?). I was raised on the annual ritual of corned beef & cabbage and this did not even come close to my mom's version. Next time around, we will surely revert back to boiled corned beef or slow cooker style. 

If you happened to make a corned beef this year & have any leftovers, I would highly recommend this corned beef hash. I would take this comforting dish any day over a corned beef sandwich!

ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 parsnip, diced
1 heaping handful of parsley, finely chopped
~ 12 fingerling potatoes, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
3-4 turnips, diced
~12 baby carrots, diced
1 box low sodium vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 corned beef, diced
whole grain mustard (optional)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. place garlic, parsnip, potatoes, turnips & carrots in a large cast iron skillet pan. pour vegetable stock to cover & bring to a boil. reduce heat, to a slow simmer until vegetables are tender to the touch of a fork.

2. drain vegetables, reserving 1/2-1 cup stock for later use.

3. heat olive oil in a large pan. add onions & saute until onions begin to brown. 

4. add vegetables & reserved cooking liquid. cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 25 minutes. stir in corned beef, chopped parsley, whole grain mustard & fresh ground black pepper. cook until beef is warmed.

5. serve with parsley to garnish or with a fried egg for a complete breakfast.